As with any canon, the Great American Songbook - the name given to the most important and influential American popular music of the twentieth century - is difficult to nail down. The range of material which it contains, chronologically and stylistically, is vast, and many people seem to restrict it to a rather narrow period of forty or fifty years. Baritone John Muriello and pianist David Gompper have chosen to celebrate the Great American Songbook genre by highlighting its cabaret tradition.
A classic cabaret show with only a piano and singer, Beyond the Great American Songbook showcases classics of the genre alongside more contemporary compositions. Stephen Sondheim bookends a performance highlighting three perhaps lesser known, but more contemporary songwriters, Richard Pearson Thomas, William Bolcom, and Marc Blitzstein. 'We bow at the throne of Sondheim,' Muriello says, explaining the necessity of his presence in the programme.
It is a good mix of familiar styles and the works of the perhaps lesser known contemporary composers, reminding the audience that the cabaret tradition of the Great American Songbook is still alive and still entertaining. Muriello has a wonderful voice, as proven by his extensive career in vocal performance. Gompper plays the piano well, but the focus is clearly on Muriello's singing.
Unsurprisingly, given the genre, many of the songs chosen involve a bit of narrative and character involvement, to which Muriello seems intermittently committed. When he does perform with enthusiasm, it serves to make the song more enjoyable. One wishes he were as committed to all the songs' characters as he is to the poor man from Brooklyn in 'Penny Candy.'
At times, Muriello pauses to give small amounts of information about a piece, which is helpful for the less famous names. Perhaps having more information about the times in which these contemporary composers were writing would have helped contextualise their work.
Beyond the Great American Songbook does a good job of celebrating the cabaret tradition of that canonical body of American popular music, and draws attention towards some lesser explored corners of the genre.
